16 Again?

I wish this would be a post about turning Sweet 16 or embracing this magical era of our lives in the later years. It’s not. It is the unexpected weight gain of…gulp…16 pounds. I knew that I had put on a good 8-10 pounds after having my band loosened and taking a med with the side effect of a sweet tooth. It was once again through the eyes of my beloved mom that I ran out for a new scale. So, for the first time in 3.5 years, I have gained weight. What the hay? That can’t be so. Or I won’t let it be so.

With that, it’s back to the old drawing board. Deep self searching, soul searching, why-do-I-sabotage-myself thinking. And I have the answer. I don’t really care. Not true – I do care, I just don’t understand why I don’t care more about myself. Why do I keep holding onto blocks or creating blocks that interfere with a physically better me? Therapy, meditation, late night talks, self-help books…nothing seems to get through to me.

Well, I’m trying a new approach. No regret. No guilt. No flashbacks. Eyes forward and one day at a time is the approach that I will try to take. It helps that my dad needs my help with his dietary needs as he has been under the weather for the past three weeks. Add that Logan is about to swim hours upon hours with the school team, that nutrition has to be viewed as fuel. With that, we are living the Joanie-Nutrition method. It might not be famous to more than our immediate family and Logan’s buddy who lived within this method for ten days with happy results, but it works.

Ready for the secret…simply eat. That is eating three meals and healthy snacks in between. That’s it. No measuring, no weighing, no eliminating. I’ll throw in one more ingredient, moderation, and you have the perfect recipe to better living.

Let me end this post with a positive reinforcement (to self) that when racing from class to class during Open House at the high school, I’ve seen old friends who commented again and again on how I’ve changed. Add to the fact that I enjoyed a preview of my upcoming Teacher-Speed-Date-Night* my MoJo is back. For me that translates as MOm JOan way of living.

Off to the arboretum today for some much needed girl-talk with Kerry as we enjoy a crisp autumn day. A little more encouragement from her, and I am back, baby.

*Note to all: female and married teachers will be eliminated from my night of speed dating. That may leave only one or two actual 4-minute dates during Parent/Teacher Night…but that might be all I need. To be continued…